Competitive Wisconsin / WAA Research Project
Paula BonnerPresident and CEO
Wisconsin Alumni Association
Mark MenzelDirector of Marketing and Research
Wisconsin Alumni Association
September 13, 2006
Survey Penetration• Sent to 43,670 alumni via e-mail
26,778 from across the state of WI 16,892 from WAA “geocities” across the
country: Chicago, Twin Cities, New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Denver and Boston
• 4,551 respondents (10.4% response rate) 95% confidence level
Breakout of WI respondentsWhich best describes the region in
Wisconsin where you currently live?
23.0%
5.8%
1.4%
0.9%
12.1%
56.7%
Madison
Milwaukee
Fox Valley
Chippewa Valley
St. Croix Valley
Elsewhere in WI
Where WI respondents work• Very little variability between where WI
residents live and where they work 95.9% of respondents work in the same area in
which they live Less than 1.5% of WI residents surveyed
commute across the border to IL or MN
Breakout of out-of-state respondents
Which best describes the area outside of Wisconsin where you
currently live and/or work?
11.9%
6.6%
7.1%
6.0%9.3%
26.1%
33.0%
Twin Cities
Chicago
New York
Los Angeles
Denver
Boston
Other
Out-of-state responsesWhy did you leave Wisconsin?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Tocontinue
myeducation
For myexisting job
For mycareer
For mypartner's
job
To becloser to
family
To getback to myhome area
To explorea new area
Other*
* “Other” includes: For lower taxes, Didn’t like it in WI, Wanted a more attractive lifestyle, Didn’t like the weather, and Other.
Out-of-state responsesWould you consider moving back to Wisconsin?
Open-ended response trends:
If Yes, why*?Great place to live 42%
Family and friends 26%
Affordable cost of living 18%
Better quality of life 8%
Good people in WI 6%
If No, why not?Lack of job opportunities 27%
Family/friends elsewhere
16%
WI not urban enough 16%
Inclement weather 8%
* Of those that said yes, roughly 15% said the only reason they don’t move back to WI is due to lack of career/job opportunities.
Out-of-state responsesWhat would influence you in your
decision to move back to Wisconsin?
0 20 40 60 80 100
Similar job in your field
Better paying job in your field
Better schools for your children
Lower taxes
Higher quality of life
Access to venture capital
More influential Less influential
Wisconsin resident responses
As a current Wisconsin resident, what's your relationship to the
state?
20.4%
12.9%
1.3%
5.1%
60.4%
Homegrown
Boomerang
Alum Transplant
Career Transplant
Other
Wisconsin resident responsesHow much time passed
between leaving Wisconsin and your return?
28.5%
45.7%
12.6%
13.1% 0-3 years
4-6 years
7-9 years
10+ years
Wisconsin resident responsesWhy do you choose to live in
Wisconsin?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
To continuemy
education
For mychildren'seducation
For my job For myspouse's
job
To be closerto parents
To be closerto spouse's
parents
To enjoy thequality of life
Other
WI resident responsesHow long do you plan on living in
Wisconsin?
13.9%5.1%
1.7%
13.0%
41.3%
24.9% 0-3 years
4-6 years
7-9 years
10+ years
Lifetime
Don't know
Composite responsesParticipants were asked how influential the following
factors were in their decision to live in a community:• Vitality: I value a vibrant community where people are “out and about”
using public parks, trails and recreation areas, and living in a healthy community.
• Cost of Lifestyle: I want a community where I can afford to live, work and play.
• Social Capital: I value living in a diverse community where people are engaged and involved in community life.
• Around Town: I want access to places for: eating out, entertainment, bars, coffee shops and stores.
• Employment Opportunity: I want a broad choice of places to work and an environment that is friendly to entrepreneurs.
• Learning: I want to plug into strong schools, smart community and lifelong learning opportunities (e.g., yoga or cooking classes; book clubs; classes, etc.).
Composite responsesHow influentual are the following in
your decision to live in a community?
0 20 40 60 80 100
Learning
Employment Opportunities
Around town
Social Capital
Cost of Lifestyle
Vitality
More influential Less influential
Composite responsesHow much do you agree with the
following statements about Wisconsin?
1
2
3
4
It's a greatplace to raise
a family
It's a greatplace to be asingle, youngprofessional
It's a greatplace to beinvolved in
community life
It's a greatplace to raise
my kids
It's a greatplace for a
career
It has greatschools for
my kids
I can/could behappy in
Wisconsin
It's a greatplace to go toschool but I'dnever want to
live there
In-state vs. out-of-state• Out-of-state respondents agreed less
strongly with the following statements: It’s a great place to be a single, young
professional It’s a great place for a career
Composite responsesWould you recommend Wisconsin
to a peer who was considering relocating?
6%
94%
No
Yes
Composite responsesWould you recommend WI to a peer who was
considering relocating?
Open-ended response trends:
If Yes, why?
Quality of life 33%
Quality of schools 19%
Scenic beauty 18%
Affordable living 11%
If No, why not?Small towns 29%
Lack of career opportunities
24%
Lack of diversity 17%
Inclement weather 11%
DemographicsGender
Female 57.9%
Male 42.1%
Age Responses Percentage22-25 961 22.4
26-29 1013 23.6
30-34 845 19.7
35-39 654 15.2
40-45 818 19.1
In-state vs. out-of-stateAge did have an effect on in-state vs. out-of-
state residency• A higher percentage of 22-25 year-olds and
25-29 year-olds were from out-of-state• WI had a higher percentage of 35-39 year-
olds and 40-45 year-olds.
DemographicsProfessional Experience
0
10
20
30
40
GraduateStudent
0-3 yearsprofessionalexperience
4-7 yearsprofessionalexperience
More than 7years of
professionalexperience
Self-employed
entrepreneur
Other
DemographicsHighest level of education attained
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Four-year college Graduate Professional PhD
Demographics
Which best describes the industry in which you work?
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Advertising/Marketing/
PublicRelations
Education FinancialServices
Government Healthcare IT/Computer Legal Science
In-state vs. out-of-stateLocation showed very little effect on industry• Only two industries showed significant
effect:• 6.73% more WI residents were in health care• 5.46% more WI residents were in education
• Other variations among industries across residency showed little significance
Demographics
What is your annual household income level?
0
5
10
15
20
25
Under$35K
$35- $50K
$51- $75K
$76- $100K
$101-$150K
$151-$200K
Over$200K
In-state vs. out-of-stateIncome was affected by state residency:• In general, people out-of-state earn more in
all salary ranges except $75-$100K• 3% more for $100-$150K• 2% more for $150-200K• 5% more for $200K+
• Numbers not heavily significant
DemographicsEthnicity
1.1%
0.4%
3.4%
1.5%
93.5%
White
African American
Native American
Asian/Pacific Islander
Hispanic
DemographicsMarital Status
49.7%
0.4%
3.2%0.1%
46.7%
Single, never married
Married
Separated
Divorced
Widowed
Summary• Wisconsin’s biggest asset is quality of life• People who choose to live in WI, work in WI• WI is doing well, retaining 80.7% of in-state
respondents who grew up here• Nearly 75% of respondents from WI come
back within six years• Nearly half of all WI residents participating
indicate a plan to be in WI 10+ years…with over 40% saying they’ll be in WI for life!
Summary• Job/Career-related opportunities was the
leading reason out-of-state respondents said they left WI
• Still, 58.9% of out-of-state respondents said they would consider moving back to WI However, job/career-related opportunities was
still a major concern• Ultimately, respondents indicate that any
community, regardless of where, must “have it all” for it to be a consideration of where to live